Test drove a new GTO today

[XtremeGrandAm]

Im helping a friend of mine get a 2004 Grand Prix and while we were there I saw a new yellow GTO hidden around the back. I immediatly went over to it and must say its a great looking vehicle. It is a tad plain but the 2nd you start the engine it makes up for it. The interior was excellent the craftmenship was excellent. The rear seats I found to be extremly comfortable and roomy for a sports car...or any car for that matter. I asked if I could take it for a test drive......they were extremly hesitant because I am only 20. But after speaking to the manager of the dealership he allowed me to go out for a test drive with him. We were gone for anout 40 mins I went on the highway and just the growl of the engine was great. The suspension handled excellent the ride quality was excellent. It caught everyones attention driving by them and that was when i was doing the speed limit. The GM was starting to wonder why I took it for a test drive because i was only going 70. So i floored it. I'm use to my 4 cyl Grand Am that thing took off. I was impressed. the manuals come in next week so Im going back. If it werent for car insurance one would be sitting in my driveway right now.

[vdgmcool]

Very Nice!:D

[Artic]

Sweet time to go to the dealer heh

[Jordon'sGrandAm]

very cool

[Riley1123d]

Man I wanna test drive one, but I doubt anybody would let me haha.

[vdgmcool]

Originally posted by Riley1123d
Man I wanna test drive one, but I doubt anybody would let me haha.

Same here!:D

[ccarr8705]

Im going to ask my dad to go out with me to the dealership. Say HE wants to test-drive it then let me drive. oh yeah.

[D.L.P.J.]

Originally posted by XtremeGrandAm
Im helping a friend of mine get a 2004 Grand Prix and while we were there I saw a new yellow GTO hidden around the back. I immediatly went over to it and must say its a great looking vehicle. It is a tad plain but the 2nd you start the engine it makes up for it. The interior was excellent the craftmenship was excellent. The rear seats I found to be extremly comfortable and roomy for a sports car...or any car for that matter. I asked if I could take it for a test drive......they were extremly hesitant because I am only 20. But after speaking to the manager of the dealership he allowed me to go out for a test drive with him. We were gone for anout 40 mins I went on the highway and just the growl of the engine was great. The suspension handled excellent the ride quality was excellent. It caught everyones attention driving by them and that was when i was doing the speed limit. The GM was starting to wonder why I took it for a test drive because i was only going 70. So i floored it. I'm use to my 4 cyl Grand Am that thing took off. I was impressed. the manuals come in next week so Im going back. If it werent for car insurance one would be sitting in my driveway right now.

I told y'all!!
Whatever some of us say about the conservative styling, it just evaporates when you drive it, hear it, and feel it!
These cars will do very well in America's different racing circuits, just look at how successful the Monaro is in Australia, going up against some very stiff competition. Did anyone watch the Bathurst 24hour race in Australia on Speedvision? The two Monaro GTO's came in 1st and 2nd place.:D

[redgrandam]

one phrase, thank you REAR WHEEL DRIVE :D

[Travis]

Heh I did that with my mom and a newer Z28 at the time, she drove it off the lot and stopped on the highway and let me abuse it :D

[Big Joe]

thats cool wish i could drive one

[Vintalage]

Saw one yesterday at the motortrend autoshow in baltimore:

http://home.earthlink.net/~vintalage/images/Cars/Autoshows/gto-grandam.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~vintalage/images/Cars/Autoshows/gto1.jpg

I just wish it had trim levels and some optional equipment such as sunroof and auto climate like the munaro has.

[jayhawk]

Yeah, whoopee. Does the GTO have VTEC?? Only the fastest cars on the planet have that.

[Artic]

:lol: jay no vtec just raw muscle :)

[jayhawk]

We just got a GTO at our little Pontiac dealer in town. The GTO is...small! About the size of a 99+ Grand Am, believe it or not.

[Lebult]

I wish I could take one for a test spin, but they're not permitted to enter Canada for some reason.

What kind of power does it put out stock??

[1994 sse]

what about the Bonneville GXP? with the 4.4 northstar V8?
and have you seen the new Series 3 3.8 S/C?

[XtremeGrandAm]

Originally posted by Lebult
I wish I could take one for a test spin, but they're not permitted to enter Canada for some reason.

What kind of power does it put out stock??
its a 350 hp V8

[XtremeGrandAm]

Originally posted by jayhawk
We just got a GTO at our little Pontiac dealer in town. The GTO is...small! About the size of a 99+ Grand Am, believe it or not.
Its the size i expected it to be. Its not suppose to be huge

[NChill4x4]

I must say, they are sharp cars!

[Artic]

We have a few around now very nice looking hehe if it quits snowing and freezing rain test drive is a must

[2001GAGT]

There is None n Canada besauce the american market bought them all up. Kinda liek the XLR there is only 250 of them entering canada this year. I know were 4 of them are. :D

[airee85]

I saw a yellow one on a truck with some other GM cars while driving passing a gas station on the highway last week...the truck was parked there and we were going fast, but it looked pretty sleek!

[Gimli]

Originally posted by 2001GAGT
There is None n Canada besauce the american market bought them all up. Kinda liek the XLR there is only 250 of them entering canada this year. I know were 4 of them are. :D

That's not the reason the GTO isn't coming to Canada this year. It's because there would have been too many changes to be had on the assembly line to comply with the Canadian laws, especially with regards to bumper collision tests. GM wasn't ready to pay for all these changes just so a few GTOs would make it to Canada. When (if) they decide to go into full production in North America then they will make the appropriate changes.

You have to keep in mind that the GTO is still in "market testing" mode.

[JGray]

Originally posted by 1994 sse
what about the Bonneville GXP? with the 4.4 northstar V8?
and have you seen the new Series 3 3.8 S/C?

Dude the caddy engines are poop
After 70,000 they're junk
Head gaskets,oil leaks,engine mounts, you name it

[amancuso]

Caddy engine isn't junk. Proper maintenence will take care of all the problems you listed above.

[digital-d]

The dealer I work at got a red and a black GTO in last week as thier first shipment, the black one is stick. I was the first person to drive one at the dealer as well as the county so they had me drive the red one cause that was going to a local carshow. I don't care what anyone says, yeah it looks a little plain on the outside, but the V-8 roar, the great craftsmanship and the power make up for it.

Northstars aren't junk engines, they have gotten alot better over the years and old people generally drive Cadillacs so the cars sit around alot and if they go out it's short distances stop and go.

[cyrrus]

Actully I ask a friend that his dad owns the shaw dealership in Calgary. I ask him about the GTO last fall when he was down for some sailing. He said that the GTO was only slated for the Us for the first year to see. Then we canadian eh should see it the following year eh. I should be talking to him again in next couple of month eh. I'll ask him if he heard any rumors on the gto eh.

[XtremeGrandAm]

Originally posted by digital-d
I don't care what anyone says, yeah it looks a little plain on the outside, but the V-8 roar, the great craftsmanship and the power make up for it.


I agree 100% with you

[ChromerGT00]

I like the car for some reason but where's the dual exhaust??? Make John Delorean proud please. I was hoping the styling cues would go back to the 60's like what Ford did with the 2005 Mustang.
It will probably change somewhere down the line and give the old schoolers like me something to smile about.

Joe

2000 Grand AM GT
1968 Ford Mustang
2001 Bullitt Mustang

[Gimli]

Originally posted by ChromerGT00
I like the car for some reason but where's the dual exhaust???

Under the car.

[XtremeGrandAm]

its not a dual exhaust like the grand am gt but just a dual outlet like the SE's...it would be more apealing to have a true duel exhaust i agree

[RamAirGAGT]

Originally posted by XtremeGrandAm
its not a dual exhaust like the grand am gt but just a dual outlet like the SE's...it would be more apealing to have a true duel exhaust i agree

It is actually more dual than the GT. There are two exhausts coming straight out of the engine. They never cross - TRUE dual exhaust. I would take that over dual-dual tips any day.

[Gimli]

Doesn't get much more true dual than this...

http://ultimategto.com/2004/04_00088_5.jpg

[JoeyK]

Originally posted by ChromerGT00
I like the car for some reason but where's the dual exhaust??? Make John Delorean proud please. I was hoping the styling cues would go back to the 60's like what Ford did with the 2005 Mustang.
It will probably change somewhere down the line and give the old schoolers like me something to smile about.

Joe

2000 Grand AM GT
1968 Ford Mustang
2001 Bullitt Mustang

This car is an Australian transplant w/our american v8. So there's the big reason why there's no "old school" styleing cues. But I agree whole heartedly. Get rid of the Holden (that's what the cars is called in Australia) & give the GTO nameplate something to be proud of other than just the motor. I think it needs some historical GTO styleing cues to keep it true to the GTO heritage.
I mean, come on,.. the GTO is the one that "started it all" I wish they didn't have to change the image & heritage by sticking the old, beloved, prestigious nameplate on a foreign car. Alot of people, especially the younger crowd have either forgotten, or don't realize what the true/ real GTO is/ was all about. It's not about cashing in on an old, highly reguarded nameplate w/ some car from a foreign land just to soley make a buck,... or is it GM??? I'm not discounting this car or it's abilities, they just went about it the wrong way. They should have used a different nameplate for this name neutering stunt & saved the GTO name for a true GTO. Just my .02, I'm sure there will be arguments to follow, but keep in mind, it's just one lifelong Pontiac fans' thoughts.

[RamAirGAGT]

Originally posted by JoeyK
This car is an Australian transplant w/our american v8. So there's the big reason why there's no "old school" styleing cues. But I agree whole heartedly. Get rid of the Holden (that's what the cars is called in Australia) & give the GTO nameplate something to be proud of other than just the motor. I think it needs some historical GTO styleing cues to keep it true to the GTO heritage.
I mean, come on,.. the GTO is the one that "started it all" I wish they didn't have to change the image & heritage by sticking the old, beloved, prestigious nameplate on a foreign car. Alot of people, especially the younger crowd have either forgotten, or don't realize what the true/ real GTO is/ was all about. It's not about cashing in on an old, highly reguarded nameplate w/ some car from a foreign land just to soley make a buck,... or is it GM??? I'm not discounting this car or it's abilities, they just went about it the wrong way. They should have used a different nameplate for this name neutering stunt & saved the GTO name for a true GTO. Just my .02, I'm sure there will be arguments to follow, but keep in mind, it's just one lifelong Pontiac fans' thoughts.

YES! :agree:

[XtremeGrandAm]

I like the dual exhaust on both sides rather than just on one side i think it looks more appealing. I didnt know it was dual exhaust of course because I cant get go and look under the car in the middle of winter there was a little too much snow so thanks for the picture